My name is Rosita Balducci, I am Italian and I am an IVY volunteer at the GECT-Euregio Senza Confini in Trieste, the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). Founded by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the Veneto Region and the Land Carinthia, it aims to favor, facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation in the European Union (EU) among its components, implementing common projects for the development of the territories. “Economic and social cohesion” and “economic, social and cultural ties between populations” are thus strengthened, contributing to the development of the respective territories.
It’s been a month since I started my experience here and I am already very happy and satisfied of my contributions and tasks carried out. The project I volunteer with is “EMOTIONWay”, the main aim of which is preserving, protecting, promoting and developing the natural and cultural heritage through the creation of a cross-border network of cycle routes and paths of the Eastern Alps (ReCAO), integrated with the local public transport of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Carinthia and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.
The project aims to address two problems in the cross-border area: difficult accessibility to some sites of natural and cultural interest by cyclists and tourists on foot due to insufficient links between cycling routes and sites of interest and poor inter-modality bike-bus bike-train service for cycling routes and paths; poor visibility of some sites due to lack of information on how to reach them, inadequate services, unvalued nature sites.
In pursuit of the objective of creating a cross-border network of cycle routes and routes in the area of the Eastern Alps by improving their connection through the inter-modality bike-bus bike train, new cross-border local public transport services have been activated. The missing links have been identified and pilot actions have been launched for the inter-modal connection of bike-buses and bike-trains to create the Cycle Network 2.1 Eastern Alps.
It is a great opportunity to meet new people and understand the different dynamics of collaboration, but also to contribute in order to increasingly strengthen cooperation and new relationships. I have already learnt so much and I can’t wait to keep going with my experience, which I would recommend to anyone who would like to learn about cross-border cooperation. Moreover, Trieste is a beautiful city by the sea, which always makes me feel good!
